Inmate no longer being sought by law enforcement

An inmate authorities believed was released from jail by mistake Thursday is no longer being sought by law enforcement because a federal immigration hold has expired.

Monday morning, the Curry County Sheriff’s Office issued an announcement to area law enforcement, canceling a Friday alert to look for Ramiro Chavez.

Chavez, 23, was released Thursday after a magistrate judge ordered him free on his own recognizance.

However jail officials said he should have been detained Chavez an additional 48 hours, citing a hold placed on him by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

As of Monday, the end of the federal hold period, local authorities no longer have cause to detain or hold Chavez, said Undersheriff Wesley Waller.

“If a mistake is made and he is inadvertently released early, he’s not bound to have to come back,” said Waller. “It’s not a sentence, it’s a detainer period … there was a mistake made by the detention center but that does not stop the 48-hour period.”

Waller said the bond order was issued by magistrate court on Tuesday and the jail was faxed a copy Thursday, at which time the jail notified ICE, then released Chavez that evening.

At the point where ICE was notified, the 48-hour clock — not including weekends or holidays — started, he said.